Ladder-gripping attachment for shoes.



E. DENNIS.

LADDER GBIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1911. 1,059,284: Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

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l B. DENNIS.

LADDER GRIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR SHOES. APPLIO-ATION rum) mums. 1911.1,059,284, Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

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UNITED swarms PATIENT OFFICE.

EDMOND DENNIS, OF EFALLI RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

LADDER-GRIPPING ATTACHMENT iFOR SHOESJ Specification ofLetters Patent.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDMONDiDENNIS, a citizenof the United States, residing at Fall River, in; the county of Bristoland State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvementsin: Ladder-Grip. ping Attachments for Shoes, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention; relates to theatrical appliances, and more particularly;to devices for use in aerial athletic exhibitions.

It has for its objectto provideia shoe and appliances thereon enablingthe wearer to stand upon a ladderbr. other support with his bodyinclined in an imbalanced position and to retain the same. relativeposition to the ladder as when standing upright, even when the body ofthe wearer is inverted and extended downward lfrom the support, the

feet of the wearer lat alltimes appearing to rest upon the side of thesupport adjacent to him.

An important object ofthe invention is to provide a device to. besecured beneath the foot of the wearer, whereby the foot may be securedto a support without the application of any tool or implement, andwithout necessity for manipulation, and which will operate automaticallywhen the foot is presented to the support in a proper manner.

The present device wasevolved for the side view of the shoe andattachments for the right foot, in engaged position, Fig. Bis a bottomview of the attachment detached from the shoe, Fig. 4 is a longitudinalvertical section of the device inruse, Figifi, is.

a sideview .of the equipment for the left foot, Fig. G is axbottomviewthereof, Flg. 7

is a front view. thereofin use, Fig. 8 is a. fragmentary detail of, thesecuring device on the left shoe, on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

There is shown a ladder 110 carried Iupon a suitable frame 11,,havingthe transverse shaft 12engaged revolubly with 3 the ladder.

'lhe ladder has a multiplicity of irungs 13,

spaced. as desired, but. preferably at :a distance which will bring twoadyacent rungs within the length of a good sized shoe, thoughthisspacing is not essential through out the ladder. At one end of theladder stands a performer A,.and suspended from the opposite end of theladderthere is a second performer B both secured in the manner to bedescribed. Upon the right shoe, the anchor; plate having: countersunkapertures registered with the openings :of the bottom of the shoe. Thisplate should preferably conform to the shape of the sole, for thecomfort of the wearer. A flat strip 19 .of heavy sheet metal is engagedbeneath.

the sole of the shoe, having threaded Iapertures therethrouglrregistered with respective openings through. the bottom of the.

shoe, suitable securing screws 20 being engaged through the anchor plateand lthei bottom of the shoe and screwed home in the threaded aperturesin the strip 19. The latter iplate may be termed a hook plate, its.

rear, end beingcurved inwardly to form an elongatedbill. 213extendingparallel with the adjacent inner portionof the plate, its bighhportion22 being curved, as shown,

for, snug engagement with a ladder rung at times. The extremity of thebill 21 may be turned slightly outward to. facilitate the.

entrance of a rung, thereunder, as will be subsequently described. The.forward end of the plate 19 is similarly curved inward to form a bill231a little less than half the lengthof the bill 21, the respectivebight portion! being also curved for the reception one in-front, that isto say, the metal is made thinner intermediately of the bill at the rearend, or the forwardbill thickened,

fora :purpose to be subsequently described.l10

Two ears 25 are carriedflat each side of the plate, spaced a properdistance from the bill 23, and pivoted therebetween is a keeper member26 extending, forwardly and lIlr'.

wardly of the tip of the bill 23 and having 110 1 Patented Apr; 15,1913.;

Application filed March 22, 1911. Serial No.-616,205.

of a ladder rung. It should be noted that the rear hook issomewhatlighter than the check lugs 27 formed a spaced distance from wardly intothe forward hook.

the bight 24, whereby a ladder rung may be held snugly between the lugsand bight of the hook at times. The lugs are arranged to project-pasteach side of. the plate when the keeper is 'depressed thereagainst, and

the ears supporting the keeper are of such a length that when depressedthe keeper will be inclinedtoward the plate at such an angle that whenthe. device is. pressed downwardly upon a ladder rung the inclinedkeeper will force the rung for- A spring [member 28 is engaged betweenthe plate and 0i bemg'extended a sllght distance beyond the the keeperto holdgthe keeper in closed position against the bill 23, yieldably forin.- clination as described. The spring 28 comprisesa. single piece ofwire bent into U"- shape, a helix 28 being, formed intermediately'ineacharm, the extremity of the wire disposed outwardly of the performer uponthe rotating ladder. As each performer. ascends with rotation of theladder, he sways I his body inward toward the'axis of rotation I sothathisbodywill resist less the upward movement of the adjacent arm of theladder throughthe action of gravity. Upon reaching the zenith ofthis'movement,'the body. is swayed outward farther from' the axis ofrotation of the ladder and an unbalanced force is produced under theaction? of gravity, acting in the direction of rotation. When the weightof the performer is added to the strain of'centrifugal force as the re--jspective end of the ladder moves downward,

' the resultant force applied through this foot is greater than thatexerted through the innergfoot at any time.

The safety of. the

performer is thus greatly increased bymak- 1ng, it-possible to supportthefouter foot upon two rungsofthe ladder.

Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive illustrate the left footequipment, which forthe-comfort'of theperformer and for the'reas'on that this devicesustains less strain "than they first described one, isg arrangedtoextendtrans.

versely of the ladder, and-engage but one rung thereof. The" shoe "andreinforcing means shown in these figures maybethe' same as that firstdescribed, andthough the upper portion of thisi'shoein normal usesustains a ggrea'tertensile strain than the other, it is advisable tohave the other equally strong to take a similar strain in casethis'device fails in its function for any reason, as hashappened'in useon at least one occasion. Thlsleft foot devlce lncludes an anchor platesimilar to the ,o'ne described and engaged with the'shoe and an exterior,hoo-k plate 30, in the. same manner as first described. The hook platein this deviceis providedwith two'hooks 31, extending-flaterallytherefrom toward the outer. side of the shoe, and includingjthebightfportions 32 and bills 33. These hooks are preferably spacedadjacent the ball and heel receiving portionsof the shoe. They may beformed integrally with the plate 30,-bystamping'or otherwise, ifdesired, or. maybe formed of separate pieces 'of'metal secured to-"theplate. Formed on the opposite side of the plate from the hooks there arerespectivefpairs; of ears 34, betweenwhich-are pivotedkeepers 35 lyingwithin the bills 33 at theirends 1 and having stoplugs36-and'b'eingengaged by springs .37, these elements and'the bight.

32 all having the same functional relation as the parts 23 to28inclusive above described.v "These two keepers are connected'in;'rigid relation by the longitudinal bar 88. In"

this form of the device the springs are shown 'with'ttheir end portionsengaged in suitable perforations int-he plateBO rather than beingsupported by the keeper pivots,

and the lugs. 36 are located intermediately of the keepers, suitableopenings, being formed at 39 through the 'hook portions 211101 9 7 theshoe sole for their reception.

It will'be seen that in use the entrances to the hooks will be presentedto the outerend i of the'ladder, with the left foot in the naturalposition which it tends to assume whenthe right foot is extendedoutwardly of the I other and longitudinally of the ladder.

In, use, the right foot is'presented downwardly to engage one rung ofthe ladder transversely of the plate 19, and forwardly p of the bill 21,the foot-being slippedforvwardly until the rungis engaged againstthebight 22,when, bypressing the toe downwardly, anouter rung willbe-brought against the keeper 26,}which in yielding allows entrance ofthe rung to. the forward hook and presents. an inclined lfaceiwhich actsas a fender to force the rung forwardly; @the foot thus being movedrearw'ardly until the, keeper 26 isv freed to move into closed Iposition, the inner. rung. beingl moved slightly towardthe outer end ofthe M1121, but not being disengaged therefrom. The

foot is thus securely-held upon-the two rungs and may be releasedpressing the keeper 26 inward and moving the foot forv ward until theforward rung is disengaged,

then moving} it rearwardly until the rear or inner rungis clear ofthe'bill 2 1.

The left foot is secured by onediagonah movement of the foot outwardlyand'down wardly to bringthe rung againstthekeepers t 35 and into thehooks 531, its release being. effected by pressing'ragainst the"'bar: 38to. allow'passage of the rung} outwardly over"? the keepers 35 andmoving the foot inwardly of the ladder.

The bill 21 of the right foot deviceis made weaker than the forward hook223, in

order that, in case the left foot becomes detached or disengaged, whenthe body; of the performer flies outward by reason of the high speedusually attained, the heel of his right foot Wllll not be held by thebill121, so

forcibly as to injure his rightlimb, but will bend, allowing the foot topivot on the front hook as engaged withthe outer rung,

and give the performeran, opportunity to grasp the ladder as soonas hismomentum has decreased sufficiently.

It will of course be understood that these devices need not be attachedto theiright and left shoes respectively as described, but

the relation may be reversed if desired. It

will also be understoodlthat the two forms need not essentially be usedtogether, but that one form may be applied to both feet, if desired, tosuit different kinds of performances, but the relation described ispreferable for the particular act in which its use versely of the shoeand spacedlongitudinally thereof, and support engaging :membeis carriedby the other shoe, for engagement with a support member extendinglongitudinally of the shoe for the purpose described.

2. A device of the class described compris; ing a plate adapted to besecured to the bottom of ashoe and having one end bent inwardly to forma hook bill in spaced relation with an intermediate portion of theplate, said platehaving: its opposite end similarlybent to form ashorter bi1l, and means to closetheispace beneath the short bill movableyieldablygin one direction: to allow entrance of a support and adaptedto hold it, against casual disengagement.

3. A, device of the class described adapted for engagement upon the footof a person, including spring pressed relatively movable elementsarranged toyield to a support under inward movement thereof to engagedp0: sition therebetween and adapted to coact to prevent casualdisengagement of ,thesup port.

4. In a device of the class described, the a combination with, a shoe,of an elongatedi hook member and a short hook member in spaced opposedrelation with the first, where bars ,maybepositioned in. the longer hookby oneof two fixedlyspaced support memduring and after engagement of theother support in the short hook.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a shoe ofrelatively movable support engagingmembers on the sole thereof yieldableto a support for entrance 1 a of the support between said membersyand Iarranged and adapted to hold a support against casual disengagement.

6; Thecomb1nat1on of a shoe, a hook on the sole thereof adapted toreceive a support therein, a keeper adapted to hold a support 1n thehookland yieldable thereto under pres-,

sure, and resilient means to hold the keeper 1n operative position.

7. Therombination of a shoe, anelon gated Ihook upon the bottom, a shorthook in spaced opposed relation to the first,:and means onsthe shorthookyieldable in one directlon to allow a support to enter the hook,

and adapted to retain it therein, whereby one of twofixedly spacedsupports may be held in the longer hookduring and after engagement ofthe other support in the short hook, and both hooks be held engaged withthe respectlve 1 supports under operation of the means on the shorthook.

8.In, adevice of the class described a plate, a hook carried therebyhaving its bill spaced from the plate, and a spring pressed keeperpivoted on an axis spaced longitudinallyioutward of the bill and fromthe, plate and adapted to engage the inner side of the bill,beingyieldable to a support under pressure, and adapted to engage the,

nesses.

EDMOND DENNIS: Witnesses:

FREDMARTEL, BAnnnr GLUOKMAN,

Copies of this patentmaybe: obtained for five centseach, by addressingthe Commissioner, of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

